Natural England - Wildlife Enhancement Scheme

Wildlife Enhancement Scheme

The Wildlife Enhancement Scheme (WES) was introduced as a pilot scheme in 1991, and was a management agreement scheme for Sites of Special Scientific Interest (SSSIs), to positively maintain and enhance their special interest by combining Natural England’s knowledge of wildlife management with the owner or occupier’s skills and knowledge of the land.

The scheme has now closed to new applicants, and Higher Level Stewardship is now the main scheme used to support the management of SSSIs. Some existing agreements will, however, continue until 2012. As part of a five-year agreement, payments were offered for annual management (such as for grazing, hay cutting or water level management) and/or for capital works to maintain or restore habitats (for example scrub clearance) or works to support particular species.

Existing WES agreements will gradually transfer across to Higher Level Stewardship, which will become the primary channel for funding the delivery of SSSI target condition. However, a new scheme called the Conservation and Enhancement Scheme will be introduced during 2009.

What are the benefits of the scheme?

The Wildlife Enhancement Scheme was available to support conservation management on all SSSIs in England, although WES management agreements were primarily targeted at those sites in unfavourable condition and were therefore offered at Natural England’s discretion.

The Government’s Public Service Agreement target relating to SSSIs is to have 95% of the SSSI area in favourable or recovering condition by 2010. WES management agreements have had an important role in helping deliver this target.

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